Recently in these blog posts I have been talking about the process we follow in developing software for our clients, says Nitec Software Development Team Manager, Mark Jones.
A major part of that development process is where we host the software we write. In Nitec our front and centre recommendation is that you host any system we create in the cloud. More specifically in the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Over the next couple of months, I am going to take some time to write a few posts on why we have made the decision to recommend and push this technology.
“If someone asks me what cloud computing is, I try not to get bogged down with definitions. I tell them that, simply put, cloud computing is a better way to run your business.” ~ Marc Benioff, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Salesforce
The Cloud
“The cloud” is definitely a phrase that is more widely spoken in technology nowadays than just about any other. Spend any time in technology circles and you will hear phrases like, “You could put that in the cloud”, or “Did you see the cloud now offers a …. service?”. Over the next couple of months, I want to look at a few advantages of the cloud and specifically why we, at Nitec, are convinced that, when it comes to software, the only sensible place to design it for and host it in is the cloud.
The first thing I want to look at is the speed of deployment and the maintenance of the infrastructure needed to support your application.
“Time is money. Wasted time means wasted money means trouble.”, Shirley Temple
Secure Infrastructures
Traditionally when I would have a conversation with clients about creating a custom web application for their needs it would also involve a discussion around infrastructure. What servers did they already have? Did they have a Microsoft SQL Server license – something that would cost several thousand pounds a year? If they had all of this and wanted the application accessible outside of their organisation, did they have the connection infrastructure to support this? Unless they were already a large company with this infrastructure in place often the initial barriers were too hard to overcome.
With the cloud and something called Platform as a Service (PaaS) this conversation has completely changed. Now this infrastructure can be created in minutes at a very affordable monthly cost to the client. Not only that, this infrastructure is now being maintained by an army of the very best and brightest professionals in the marketplace. It is secure, and it is kept secure by this army.
Your software will be hosted on the same quality server farms as software from Fortune 500 companies. The infrastructure, software updates and service improvements will be maintained and delivered by the same personnel that is delivering it for some of the biggest companies in the world, including the likes of Microsoft and Salesforce.
“Cloud computing is often far more secure than traditional computing, because companies like Google and Amazon can attract and retain cyber-security personnel of a higher quality than many governmental agencies.” – Vivek Kundra, former Federal CIO of the United States
In short, hosting your software in the cloud is a complete no-brainer. Even with just knowing these couple of benefits the question is now rephrased from “Why should I use the cloud?” to “Why on this earth am I not using the cloud for my software?”.
